HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. Johan Willem Ort) left Dundee on 5 November 1940 to patrol of the Norwegian coast. She was not heard of since and was presumed mined. (Note: the date given for her loss might not be the correct date)

On 13 August 1993 a survey vessel of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate locates a wreck in position 57º55'N, 05º31'E. about 20 nautical miles south-west of the Norwegian coast. The water depth is about 180 meters. A ROV inspection shows that the wreck is the O 22.

It is not possible to display a map for O 22. The patrol report holds no daily positions and the ships log is not available.

2 Aug 1940O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) fires two torpedoes against a submarine in the North Sea in position 56°15'N, 02°35'E. The submarine in question was either the German U-37 or more likely U-38.

1620 hours - In position 56°15'N, 02°35'E attacked a German U-boat with two torpedoes. Range was 5000 yards. No explosions were heard but the enemy submarine was seen to alter course to Starboard and to increase speed.

5 Nov 1940HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) departed from Dundee for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Norwegian Coast near Stavanger.

6 Nov 1940HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) was ordered to take up a patrol position further South, off Lindesnes, 18 nautical miles from the coast.

13 Nov 1940At 2030 hours (zone -1, Berlin time) the German submarine U-28, which was on the return trip to Germany after her last operational war patrol (she was to be used as a training boat after her return), reported a torpedo attack on her in German naval grid AN 3438.

The logbook of U 28 gives the following;
' In a timespan of 30 seconds heard two heavy explosions very near to the boat. Most likely we were attacked by a submarine. The torpedoes must have passed behind the boat and most likely exploded at the end of their run or on hitting the bottom. '

If this was indeed a torpedo attack by a submarine, and given the double explosion this seems very likely to us, the attacker can only have been HrMs O 22. No other Allied submarine was operating in this area. No other Allied submarine failed to return to base around this time and finally no other Allied submarine reported this attack. Also the position where the wreck of O 22 was found in 1993 is only a few miles from the centre of German naval grid AN 3438.

Given the above we (Mr. Alexiades and uboat.net crew) consider it very likely that O 22 made this attack and was therefore still operational on the evening of 13 November 1940. It is even possible that something went wrong during this attack and that this resulted in the loss of O 22, although this is just an hypothesis on our part.

We would like to thank Mr. Platon Alexiades for informing us on the entry in the logbook of U-28.
We have informed the Dutch Navy of this find.

13 Aug 1993The wreck of HrMs O 22 is located in about 180 meters of water by a survey vessel of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate in position 57°55'N, 05°31'E.

There is no visible damage to the wreck that is upright on the seabed. To this day the cause of the loss of O 22 is unknown.